Portomarín - July 22

July 22

We walked past the 100 kilometers to go marker today - Woohoo!!!! When we finished in Portomarín, we checked, and we only have 94.7 kilometers (58.8 miles to go).

We had another beautiful morning/day with a lot of climbing. I think this whole last part of this journey is climbing and descending over and over. I love going up...not a big fan of the downs, especially if they are steep. One big change today was the huge increase in the number of people walking. There are many different Caminos, and they are now merging together as we get close to Santiago. Also, many people only do the last 100 kilometers in order to get the Compostela. We are fine with it, though. We have had over 400 miles without the crowds.

We got to walk and do some cafe time with some of our favorite young women today. One is from Rochester, NY, one is from Madrid, and one is from Denmark. They met quite awhile ago on the trail and have been hiking together. We love their giggles and their laughter. They brighten our day every time we see them.

We also saw Sasha and Vlad today. They are from Serbia originally, but live in Boston. We hadn’t seen them for awhile, so it was nice to hike with them into Portomarín, where Pakuchan, Paul, and Mirabelle were also staying 🙂. Our friend, Andy, is ahead of us now...hoping to see him in Santiago.

At dinner tonight, we all discussed when we plan to arrive in Santiago. Most are planning on the 26th, but Alan and I plan to arrive on the 27th. We are going to do a couple of shorter/easier days during this last 58 miles. We have the time, and our bodies will appreciate it. I know I will enjoy sleeping in a bit 🙂!

State of our Bodies After 441 miles:
1. Alan’s ball of his foot still bothers him time to time, but so far so good 🙂
2. My first blister healed up right away, so my left heel decided to get one. It looks like it will go away quickly, also.
3. Today was a great day for our backs- neither of us had any tightness at all
4. Yesterday, I thought I was much younger than 56 and did a little jogging downhill. Today, I am paying for it with a sore groin muscle. Alan says I can’t run anymore 😂😂

Tomorrow’s destination is Palas de Rei - 15.3 miles.
5 more days until Santiago!!!Read more